Issei and Koneko left the gymnasium while their opponents were incapacitated. After a few seconds, Akeno arrives, bombarding and annihilating the whole gymnasium with lightning along with Riser's servants.
"Three of Riser Phenex-sama's 'Pawns' and one of his 'Rooks' have been retired." Grayfia's announcement echoed throughout the whole battlefield.
"It's just like what Kiba said before... It makes sense that Akeno-san is called 'Priestess of Thunder'..." Issei is in awe at the sight of destruction Akeno casually concocted, 'Amazing... Better remember not to piss off Akeno-san... Kisuke... rest in pieces...'
Issei turned to Koneko and initiated a high-five, "We did it, Koneko-chan!"
"Please don't touch me!" Koneko took a step back, still remembering his disgusting magic.
"Hahaha, I'll never use it on an ally." Issei awkwardly laugh.
"...It's still a nasty move." Koneko started walking away, but just a few steps, her senses started warning her. She used her inner Ki to cover herself and a large explosion happened in front of her sending her flying to the woods.
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"Looks like their plan works," Sona commented after the Akeno dropped her attack on the building.
"Yep. That Fried Chicken is not taking it seriously when it comes to commanding his servants. He's just that confident to win even with just himself." Kisuke added. Then they witness the explosion which sent Koneko to the woods with unknown faith.
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Sona furrowed her brows at this and asks Kisuke, "Is she going to be okay?"
"So that's how is it... She wants the opponents to think that she's already taken out." Kisuke muttered, "She's going to be fine... You see, she needs a lot of alone time to execute her secret technique. This is a good chance to reduce the attention she's getting."
Sona returned her sights on the screen and focused her attention to Koneko who is lying on the ground, disheveled and 'unconscious', 'Let me see this secret technique of yours.'
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"Well done. Building up that lightning attack takes some time for Akeno, so while we're waiting for her to recharge, we'll move on to the next operation." Rias' voice resounded on their communicator.
"Got it, Buchou!" Issei turned to Koneko and tried to catch up to her, "We're supposed to meet up with Kiba on the Sporting Grounds, right? Let's move, Koneko-ch---!" A sudden explosion interrupted his words and he saw Koneko's body launching away to the woods dropping out of his vision, "Ko-Koneko-chan!!!"
"Take." From the sky, Riser's 'Queen', Yubelluna' appeared. She just cast that bomb magic, "Fufufu~. All your struggles are for nothing. You'll never beat Riser-sama." She then faces the direction where Koneko was thrown away. She saw her lying on the ground relatively fine, but unconscious. The game's judge deemed her still capable of combat, 'I used quite a lot of force in that one since Ravel-sama warned me about her. Surprisingly, she wasn't taken out instantly, but I should finish her off.'
Yubelluna wanted to follow Koneko, but Akeno blocked her way, "Issei, don't worry about Koneko-chan. She'll be fine. Proceed to follow Rias' orders for now." She glared at Yubelluna and also followed her line of sight, 'This is not the end for her... right?'
"B-But--!" Issei still didn't want to leave just yet.
"Issei-kun." Akeno put more force in her voice, "You have your role to play, and this is mine. Do not fret, I'll avenge Koneko-chan. I'll give everything to crush this one."
"Kuh!!" Issei turned around and ran away, leaving the two 'Queen's' battlefield which is now filled with explosions.
"Hah...hah...hah..." Issei ran from destructions with all his might and stopped at the corner of the building just before he reached the Sporting Groups.
As he tries to calm his breathing, Grayfia's announcement was heard again, "Three of Riser Phenex-sama's 'Pawns' have been retired."
"Three 'Pawns'? But Buchou is still in the base and Akeno-san is in the middle of a fight..." Issei muttered when a hand grabbed his shoulder, "!?"
Issei turned around to retaliate but saw it was Yuuto Kiba doing a silence gesture, "Oh... It's just you." Issei is now trying to calm his beating heart.
Kiba was the one who defeated the three 'Pawns' and the two talk for a while to rest. After reaffirming their resolves to get stronger, they started to argue who's going to be on 'top' which inevitably attracted Riser's remaining pieces to their location.
"I am Karlamine, a 'Knight' serving Riser-sama. I've had enough of sneaking around and feeling each other out. 'Knight' of Rias Gremory, come and pit your blade against mine! Knight on Knight!" A young woman with light brown hair and green eyes called out to Yuuto. Her outfit consists of a full set of silver armor with black accents that appears to be a cross between a European Knight (chest plate, gauntlets, and greaves) and a Japanese Samurai (hip plates and shoulder guards), and wears a headband that goes across her hair and forehead. She is equipped with a broadsword and a dagger, both of which are held with brown belts slung across her hip. The broadsword is slung on her left hip, and features a red jewel on the pommel and has bandages across the handle for grip. The dagger, which is located behind her hip, features a gold hilt with bandages on the handle.
Yuuto opened the door of the storage room they were in and accepted her invitation, "Hmmph... I can't keep hiding after being called out like that." He pulled out his sword from his hip and took a stance, "As a Knight, that is."
"What!?" Issei didn't know what to do, but he had no other choice other than following him outside of their hiding place.
"I am Yuuto Kiba, a Knight." Yuuto first introduced himself and Issei did the same, "And I'm Issei Hyoudou, a Pawn."
Karlamine chuckled, "Always a joy to meet fighters who boldly step out, front and center. You're my favorite type of idiots! Hahaha!"
"That's rich coming from you!" Issei retorted.
"I'll give you a fight that is anything but ordinary." Yuuto pointed his sword towards Karlamine.
"Well said, Knight of Rias Gremory!" They started their clash leaving Issei gawking at the sidelines.
But he wasn't alone for too long and the rest of Riser's servants appeared one after another surrounding him.
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"That's some interesting Sacred Gear. Can he create any sword with any effect?" Kisuke commented on the scenes ongoing on the screens.
"Who knows. It's said that throughout history, countless variations of this Scared Gear appeared. And each one of those has their own specialties." Sona replied while she rests her head on her hand.
A few more moments, they witness Issei use his 'original' magic on Riser's Rook and retired her through the use of an attack he calls 'Dragon Shot'.
Rias is already confronting Riser on the top of the roof of the new school building along with Asia.
"He even has his little sister in his harem!? Damn... I lost!" Kisuke gritted his teeth just like Issei when Ravel reveals herself.
"Why are you competing with him?" Sona gave him another disgusted look.
Kisuke looked at her and smiled, "Right... Why am I competing with him? I already have Sona-kaichou."
Kisuke's words caught Sona off guard and blankly stared at him. A few seconds later, her face flushed red with embarrassment, "Who's yours!? You damned pervert!!!"
Sona kept shouting at him but he just enjoyed Sona's tantrum and embarrassed face.
Issei and Yuuto combined their Sacred Gear to create a field of blades which impaled all of Riser's servant around Issei and Yuuto, the only one left is Riser's little sister, Ravel who already healed her wound.
She gritted her teeth and muttered, "Is this also the Dragon's power?"
Just as Issei and Yuuto are feeling proud of their accomplishments, another announcement from Grayfia resounded, "Rias Gremory-sama's Queen has been retired." This announcement understandably shocked everyone in Rias' peerage.
"Just with those words and they're letting their guard down? It's not like she's dead." Kisuke commented, and as he expected, it's Yuuto's turn to become charcoal from an explosion while they are processing those words.
"Rias Gremory-sama's Knight has been retired." Grayfia's voice resounded again waking them up from their stupor.
3/5
"Queen and Knight, take." Yubelluna appeared behind Issei floating in the air.
"It's just like with Koneko-chan... Now Akeno-san and Kiba too!" Issei gritted his teeth and taunted Riser's Queen, "Get down here! I'll avenge them all!"
"Heh!" But Yubelluna just sneered at him and flew away to Riser's side where he is confronting Rias and Asia.
"Sh*t! Hold it!" Issei chased after her and neared the new school building which is the base of the opposing team, but before he could enter, he is shocked that Riser's little sister is still fine and explained that she too is an immortal Pheonix and also explained the existence of Phoenix Tear that helps Yubelluna to defeat Akeno. Ravel tried to talk to him and make him give up the game, but she instead was ignored and threatened back.
Issei entered the building and promoted himself to 'Queen' increasing his overall strength.
"Sona-kaichou, How does that 'Promotion' works?" After seeing her calm down sufficiently, Kisuke asks Sona about the 'Pawn' piece.
"Ehem... Every piece is connected to the King registered in it. When we use a piece on someone, it uses our Demonic Power to promote our servant's strength. Queen promotes overall strength largely, Bishop promotes Magic Power, Knight promotes speed, Rook promotes defense and power and Pawn promotes overall strength but in smaller quantities. But Pawns have the potential to become any of the other pieces at the expense of the King's Demonic Power." Sona explained cleanly.
"Heh..." Kisuke turned his focus back to the screen and thought, 'So unless Koneko-chan gets away from Gremory-san's influence, it'll be hard for her to promote her strength stronger than Gremory-san's Demonic Power. There is still a big leeway as Gremory-san's potential is mostly untapped, but it won't be like that forever.'
On the screen, Riser started beating up Issei who is already overloaded with magic due to his Boosted Gear and coughing blood. Asia tried to heal him but Yubelluna blocked her ability. Rias could only help Issei by throwing balls made out of Power of Destruction, but even though she wound him enough that others would instantly die from it, Riser kept regenerating even if his head was blown off. Truly an immortal Phoenix.
Kisuke, without a word, stood up and walks towards the door to exit.
"Where are you going?" Sona also stood up and ask him. She thought that Kisuke already gave up watching as it is painfully obvious that Rias couldn't win. But she still wanted to see it through the end.
"I already know the result, so I have to leave."
"Have to leave? Couldn't you stay until the match ends?"
"Nope, I have to go and asks Yoruichi to help that Fried Chicken not to get killed. After all, if he dies under that hulking cat's hands, it's going to be a pain in the *ss." Kisuke didn't turn around and continues walking outside without waiting for Sona and Tsubaki's reactions.
Sona stared blankly on the door where Kisuke just left, "...What...?" After comprehending what he just said Sona looked at the screen which features the woods, but the lying Koneko is already nowhere to be found. Sona and Tsubaki looked around and saw her walking openly on the Sporting Field while her eyes are closed and she is already in her nekomata form.
Sona furrowed her brows as Koneko is now giving off a different aura, like that of a wild beast. She didn't want to believe that Koneko can actually kill Riser because if she's really capable of it, then she would have to reevaluate Kisuke and Yoruichi. And they will inevitably gather attention which she didn't want to happen at this point.
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In the Gremory Mansion, Millicas sighed at his Aunt's defeat. Even though his grandfather wants to see this result, he still wished from the bottom of his heart for Rias to win this game and attain freedom. Venelana was also disappointed at the result but didn't say anything as she already expected this.
Only Sirzechs furrowed his brows at what's happening which garnered Zeoticus and Venelana's attention, "What's wrong, Sirzechs?" Zeoticus asks, 'So he didn't really want to see this marriage happening.' Venelana, after looking at his expression also thought the same.
Sirzechs shook his head, he knew what they are thinking and denied it, "That's not it... I told you since the start of the game, right? There's an interesting Human who trained Koneko and looking at her right now, he's more than interesting now.
Both of them had a confused look and looked for Koneko who they thought is already out of the game. And just like Sirzechs, Zeoticus and Venelana furrowed their brows because of the feeling she is giving them right now. Even though Koneko is walking slowly and peacefully, she's like a drawn sword, lusting after the blood of her opponent.
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Riser is grabbing Issei's head, who is already black and blue from the torture Riser gave him, and raised him in the air, "Hmmph, give it up. You have no way of winning."
"Issei!" Rias shouted in dispair while Asia couldn't do anything but cry in the background.
Riser turned his head to Rias, "Resign now. Don't drag this any longer."
Rias couldn't answer him but she's already thinking of resigning. But Riser thought that she's still hesitating, so he raised his free arm and clad it flames ready to obliterate Issei's head who's still glaring at him, while already unconscious. His tenacity shocked even Riser. As he is about to bring his arm down, Rias shouted, "Riser! Stop! I--"
Before she could complete her words, however, she notices that Issei already disappeared from in front of Riser... along with his arm which is holding him.
"What!?" Yubelluna and Ravel exclaimed and looked around. They saw Koneko with her eyes closed carrying Issei in princess carry as she slowly walks to Rias and Asia who are crying their eyes out.
Koneko put him in front of Asia and removed the bindings that Yubelluna cast of her to stop her from moving with a wave of her hand. She then faced Rias and said, "I'm sorry for being late, Buchou."
"Ko..Ko-neko...?" Rias stuttered as she called her name. She may be speaking calmly and has a neutral expression, but she can somehow feel her unprecedented fury. This is the first time she has seen her like this and certainly wouldn't imagine that she's capable of giving away this kind of demeanor.
"Koneko Toujo... Yubelluna, I thought I told you to deal with her... What is she doing here?" Ravel eyed Koneko and the bad feeling she's getting from the start is getting worse.
"Even though I wasn't able to retire her, I'm pretty sure that she took considerable damage and couldn't get up for a short time." Yubelluna defended herself.
"It doesn't matter... No matter how fast she is, she can't hurt me. And I doubt she can keep that kind of speed up. Although I must say that it caught me off guard... For a Rook to be able to move that fast. What if you're a Knight instead?" Riser casually spoke and stopped them from arguing. His arm already returned to its previous state before Koneko even reach Rias.
"You're about to resign, Rias? Just say it and--" Riser was interrupted yet again, but this time he saw clearly Koneko appeared in front of him in a strange form and grabbed his head and threw him towards the center of the Sporting Field creating a large explosion of soil and dust.
4/5